Manning elected to defer his plea and also to defer the forum selection for his court-martial -- whether he will be tried by a judge or a panel. The court set a tentative date of March 15-16 for the next session to hear pre-trial motions.

Manning was charged with aiding the enemy in violation of Article 104 of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. He was also charged with 16 specifications under Article 134 of the UCMJ: wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet knowing that it is accessible to the enemy.

He was charged with five specifications of Theft of Public Property or Records, in violation of 18 United States Code 641; eight specifications of Transmitting Defense Information, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 793(e); two specifications of Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Computers in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1030(a)(1) ; and five specifications under Article 92, UCMJ, for violating Army Regulations 25-2 "Information Assurance" and 380-5 "Department of the Army Information Security Program."

If convicted of all charges against him, Manning would face a maximum punishment of reduction to private E-1, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, confinement for life and a dishonorable discharge.

Most of the 16 specifications against Article 134 relate to Manning giving "intelligence to the enemy, through indirect means" while at Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between November 2009 and May 2010. He is charged with sharing this illegally accessed intelligence with "a person not entitled to receive it."

Specification 10 of Article 134 mentions Manning obtaining and then divulging "five classified records relating to a military operation in Farah Province, Afghanistan, occurring on or about May 4, 2009 with reason to believe such information could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation."